Antarctic Xmas punch-up airlift cost £45k The bill for airlifting two belligerents from the US-run Amundsen-Scott South Pole station which on Xmas Day hosted some decidedly unseasonal fisticuffs is "at least" £45k, according to the Telegraph. One of the men allegedly suffered a broken jaw during the punch-up, and was subsequently whisked to Christchurch Hospital in …
Yes, I first saw this item in The Telegraph. Just as well they disabled comments since they finished with the line "Cabin fever is more of a problem in winter when personnel have to endure total darkness 24 hours a day"
I'm sure it is a problem, but right now in the Antarctic it is high summer, it is daylight 24 hours a day. No doubt the Telegraph will also tell us there are polar bears in the area.
You may be on to something there, Ron! Put a hundred "celebrities" on the south pole, and once a week, TV viewers vote on who can't leave. The winning celebrity is the one allowed to leave at the end of the season, the rest are left there when production is finished.
Might just improve the whole entertainment industry!
Yes, alcohol does exist, even at the south pole (been there, done that). It usually flows quite freely, and is under control of the "doctor" who it is assumed has the smarts to control its use. As for the "cabin fever" aspect, I doubt it. It is light outside ALL DAY. Where I was (over 30 years ago mind you) the sleeping quarters were all darkened up to make it reasonable. The major problem is that the cost of booze is quite cheap, not being taxed and all, and the equivalent to just sodas (they cost the same to bring down there!). Obviously someone had "no restraint" and kept gulping. Then the "liquid courage" took over, and the results are plain to see. For those "wintering over", they go through a bunch of psychology tests to make sure this thing won't happen. When I was there, one of the scheduled "winter over" people (I didn't) was "removed for cause" from his stay because the others (about 25 stayed that winter) didn't like his personality. If you don't get along with the rest of the people, you don't last long. In the summer (like now) the shrinks don't monitor much, so the riff-raff gets in. It happens!
"New TV show...
By Ron Eve
Posted Monday 31st December 2007 14:07 GMT
"Antarctic Big Brother"... ?
I wonder how many celebutards would go for it..."
It would be better in the Arctic. Ursus maritimus lives there.
I'll see if I can get this past Ch4:
"We take the 20 most pointless celebs (see Odds&Sods passim) and put them on an island in the Arctic.
And, err.... that's it."
"How will we get the cameras there?"
"What cameras?"
Whenever something happens like this, someone comes up with a silly high price.
Doubtless it includes a share of depreciation on the aircraft, and the salaries of all the people involved in the operation, all items that would exist anyway.
It's the same when rescue operations take place, when the whole costing thing is brought up to make people feel guilty about having been rescued.
The true cost is the materials cost and some wear and tear on the aircraft and other equipment --- and even that might have otherwise been incurred in some excercise or other.
But then, the true cost probably wouldn't have made headlines!
I suppose making false calls for Fire Fightersand Ambulances is ok then?
After all it's only the fuel and a bit of tire wear, probably less than £2 a time so no problem there!
In fact while we are at it, lets slash the budget for all emergency services / armed forces / public transport as we can just ignore wages and buying vehicles / weapons when it comes to working out the cost of the work they do!
While we're at it if anyone working in the services flying choppers is reading, I'd quite like a helicopter ride home tonight, I'll happily pay the cost of the fuel + 10% (which as the pilot is being paid anyway, and we've already bought the bird is all it 'costs').
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